Saturday, January 26, 2008

#1 Martin Stenmarck, "100 År Från Nu (Blundar) [Bassflow Remix]"

(The low quality video below is the unremixed version; there is a video with the sound for the remix--which did get substantial radioplay and therefore qualifies for the countdown--on YouTube but it's just attached to a photo and, since you can listen to it via a link near the bottom of the post, I thought I'd embed something else instead.)

Jag köpte drömmen om ett vackrare livNär du låg bredvid

Bassflow are (well, is, maybe more accurate, I think) steadily becoming one of my favorite producers. They transformed "7milakliv," Martin Stenmarck's megahit from 2006, into a total anthem, and they worked their magic again with the lead single from Martin's latest album. Once again, they took a big dramatic piano-led rock ballad (though one that was admittedly already great) and amped it up everywhere it needed to be amped up, adding stronger backing vocals, picking up the tempo and giving the song more of a racing feel, and throwing in electronic touches, all of which serves to make Martin's powerful delivery of the chorus lines even more memorable and harder-hitting (and make the verses much catchier and more memorable). The climax of the song--like the climax of their remix of "7milakliv"--is a radiant soaring anthemic moment; the way Martin sings "Jag blundar/Och håller andan lite till..." with the backing vocals (2:52) and the almost spit out lines "och jag vet att 100 år från nu" in tandem with that backing music (3:06) are quite possibly my two favorite bits of music this year. In fact, if you were to ask me what moment in music most stuck with me this year, what moment just thinking about it without even hearing it can get me excited about the whole concept of music, it would be that latter one.

I adore Martin Stenmarck. I adore (in recent times) Bassflow. Together, they are a match made in heaven, Bassflow knowing exactly how to rework rock music to make it exactly what it should have been in the first place; he gives the songs whole new levels of energy and power. The fact that all of Martin's singles these days seem to get the treatment (latest single "Rubb och stubb" has as well), at least for Rix FM's sake, is one of the things most worth getting excited about in music today.

13 comments:

Ohhh is this a remix? It all makes sense to me now. I only discovered this a couple months ago on Rix FM - I thought I'd heard the song before and not liked it so I was surprised when I realised it was amazing. I must have heard the ballad version.

Great choon. I'll have to see if I can find the 7milakliv remix as well because I didn't like that either.

Yeah, Rix FM plays the remixed version, I'm pretty sure--that's where I first heard either version of the song, and it was definitely the remixed version there, though I didn't know it at the time. If you don't have the "7milakliv" remix by now let me know and I can send it to you! Bassflow (who produced Ola's songs "Natalie" and "S.O.S.," too) also remixed a couple other of his songs--besides "Rubb och stubb," they did "Nästa dans" and "Ta undulaten" as well--but I haven't bought those versions yet (though I think I will end up getting "Rubb och stubb"...).

Yay, Troy! I'm so glad you love it :D And that someone else loves Martin too!

Thanks Mike! Me too--he was actually #1 in my head for quite some time, too.

may i preface this by saying i like your enigmaticness. I think it makes you mysterious and kinda cool. You are like my invisible friend Ethel from when i was younger.

I'm going to comment on your top ten because someone has been a busy little beaver this weekend and it would take me ages to go through each post!!

Ok One Republic ~ I like the song well enough. I just don't get why it's been so massively popular. The lead singer is strangely hot though and has contributed some fine stuff to the pop world this year...

Mans Zelmerlow ~ I just love love love this song and found his album rather brilliant as well. It worked as so many versions ~ straight up great pop song, acoustic ballad and funky club mix. Just amazing. Can't wait to see what he does next.

Girls Aloud ~ oh my days. I admit that when i first heard this song i thought it was just trying to hard. Now it is one of my favourite songs of theirs (just behind the epic Love Machine) - there are lots of great things about it but one thing that hit me in the face the other day was the brilliance of the construction of the song. I think the way the replay one of the verses as what becomes the outro is one of the most genius and thrilling moments in pop in 2007. Just aces.

Ola ~ I;m really only just getting into the dude. I kinda like SOS. I will await his melodifestivalen to make a better judgement...

Enrique ~ what a great song the ping pong song was. However, i sadly got a bit bored of it. However (again! oy vey) when i randomly hear it i do quite love it a lot! But my preference is tired of being sorry. Such a grower, particularly as i haven't heard the original version...

Shayne Ward ~ how weird that No U Hang Up is my least fave song on a solid album. I'm not sure why. I think Melt The Snow is phenomenol and should've been released over Breathless (my second least fave song) ~ i think the fact that those two songs were my least faves and the singles made me much more surprised that the album was quite ace. Damaged is brillopants.

I should really bother to learn how to use torrents some day...I imagine Pirate Bay is fantastic!

Ha ha, I guess I kind of do--there are a few things I never talk about on here. I think I've left bits of me scattered throughout the blog over time, though.

Paul, talk about an epic comment! Oh, and I know :) It was just time to get it all wrapped up! Good point about the construction of "Sexy! No No No...". Very weird re: our differences on Shayne! Speaking of the album, I think I just need to put it on while I'm on a trip to somewhere or something and listen to it and then it'll all properly "click." I really like Ola's "S.O.S.," "Natalie" is good but as I said I rarely listen to it because of the original, and the Gary Barlow penned ballad "If You Gave Me Your Love" is quite sweet-sounding and definitely worth a listen. I like "Can't Get Enough" (another Tony Nilsson song) and "Baby I'm Yours" as well, but the album isn't all pure pop fabulousness like I was hoping for based on the two lead singles. I hope "Love In Stereo" is great!

So long as you're not worried about the legal aspects of torrents, you should definitely try it. It's no more complicated than Limewire for example. You just use the pirate bay website to find stuff instead. Other than that it's pretty much the same. There is SO much Swedish stuff on there. Most of the CD singles you could want end up on there within a couple days of release

Thank goodness it's a Swedish-based site--the world needs all the Swedish music out there it can get!

Yeah, I went a little posting crazy this weekend ;) ToNi (Tony Nilson/Nilsson) released the original version on Catchy Tunes back in the middle of 2006; it's dance-pop with strings, something I can never resist--well, the main released version is, the "original" version on the single is less dance-pop and doesn't have strings. Megastore has the physical single (and Absolute Summer Hits, where I first heard it), Gucca has the digital single, or I can upload the song for you :) --but I don't have all the remixes!

If you think of it, let me know! Yeah, I definitely prefer the remix--it strengthens the chorus and turns the song into everything it should have been to begin with.

About Me

Songs are posted only for promotional purposes (I love them and want others to know about them, too)--if you like them, please "go out and buy the record"! If you are an artist, represent one, or are a songwriter/producer and would like your songs removed, I'll gladly do so (just let me know).